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The Web of Biological Data Act of 2026 requires the Secretary of Energy to establish a centralized online platform, called the Web of Biological Data, that allows researchers to access biological datasets from multiple federal sources in one place. This platform is designed to support advanced computational research, particularly artificial intelligence applications, by bringing together federally funded biological data that is currently scattered across different agencies and databases. The bill calls for the Department of Energy to award a grant to a national laboratory to build and operate the system, with an advisory board including representatives from industry, academia, federal laboratories, and agencies overseeing the effort. The legislation sets out a two-phase implementation timeline. Within two years, the Secretary must test an initial version focused on specific types of biological data with user-friendly interfaces and cybersecurity protections. Within five years, the system should expand to serve all U.S. researchers and accommodate various biological data types. The bill authorizes $30 million over three years for research and development, $310 million over three years for the initial phase, and $80 million per year for the subsequent two years. The platform must include data quality metrics, tiered security safeguards, and restrictions preventing data access by adversarial nations, while maintaining all existing privacy protections and informed consent requirements for biological data.

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